This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Vehicles are known to incorporate a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to heat and/or cool air blown through the HVAC system using a heater core and an evaporator. The heater core and the evaporator are heat exchangers that are disposed within an HVAC housing. The heater core can utilize engine coolant as a source of heat for heating the air, and the evaporator can utilize refrigerant for cooling the air.
The air blown through the HVAC system is drawn in via a blower fan which is positioned within the HVAC housing. The blower fan draws in air from outside or inside (recirculate) the vehicle. The air then flows through the HVAC system where it is heated by the heater core and/or cooled by the evaporator before flowing to the passenger compartment of the vehicle through one or more outlet vents.
A control module may control the temperature of the air provided to the passenger compartment by regulating the cooling and heating performed by the evaporator and the heater core. For example, to regulate a cooling operation, a control module controls the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator, and to regulate a heating operation, the control module may control the amount of air entering the heater core by way of doors positioned along an air flow path toward the heater core. The HVAC housing also defines areas in which cool air from the evaporator and hot air from the heater core can be mixed before entering the passenger compartment.
Due to the arrangement of the blower fan, the evaporator, the heater core, and the air mix area, the size of the HVAC housing can become an issue. More particularly, the HVAC system is typically positioned behind a dashboard of the vehicle to access the outlet vents within the passenger compartment. Such a location is typically congested with various other devices and systems, and leaves little space for the HVAC system.